Business Economics and Public Policy (B.S.B.)

Doermer School of Business Overview

The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:

• Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Business (B.S.B) Degree, students will:
• Be able to integrate fundamental principles of business theory and practice.
• Be able to solve problems by modeling, analyzing data (qualitative and numeric), and using critical thinking skills.
• Be able to understand the global and cultural implications of business decisions.
• Be able to understand ethical considerations in business decision.
• Be able to understand the relationship between the community and business.
• Be able to demonstrate the effective communication and teamwork skills.
• Be prepared for life-long learning in a dynamic environment.

The B.S.B. program is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which provides a voluntary mechanism of quality control. AACSB is the most prestigious business accrediting body in the nation. Only about one-quarter of all business schools in the nation possess this distinction.

Your initial courses are selected from introductory-level general education, business, and economics subjects. When you have qualified for admission to the B.S.B. program, additional opportunities are provided for in-depth studies in a variety of advanced business, management, and analytical subjects. These advanced studies help you prepare for positions of increasing executive responsibility in the business community.

At the time you are admitted to the B.S.B. program, you must declare a specialization in one of five majors: accounting, business economics, finance, management, or marketing.

Admission

Students are admitted as pre-business students until they have completed the specific pre-business requirements needed for admission to the Bachelor’s degree program.

To be admitted to the B.S.B. program, applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher and will have completed at least 60 credits that apply toward the degree, including the courses listed below. Within this course listing, successful applicants will have (1) a grade of C- or better in each course and (2) a GPA of 2.50 or better within these courses.

Courses Required for Admission to the B.S.B. Program
 

Three additional rules apply for admission to the B.S.B. program :

1. No more than 6 credits of these courses may be repeated, and no course may be repeated more than once.
2. Both the original and the repeat grades earned in the above courses will be used to compute the admission GPA. This includes courses that you have taken or repeated at IPFW and other IU campuses. Students who transfer in more than 20 credits of the 39 credits listed will be admitted to the B.S.B. program on a probationary basis.
3. Students must earn a minimum of 300 points in the Passport to Success program (a program required of all business majors that emphasizes participation in activities outside the classroom) before they can be admitted to any of the majors. Details of the Passport to Success program may be found on the Doermer School of Business website.

Note:

Bachelor’s degree programs in business are offered at other Indiana University and Purdue University campuses. Since admission and graduation requirements vary among these campuses, you must meet the admission and graduation requirements of the campus from which you intend to graduate.

Enrollment in Business Courses Numbered 300 and Above

Unless you have attained junior class standing and met at least one of the following conditions, you are not permitted to enroll in a business course numbered 300 or above:

• You have been admitted to the B.S.B. program at IPFW.
• The course is a specified requirement for another bachelor’s degree program or minor in which you are enrolled and you have completed all course prerequisites.
• You have obtained written permission from the department through which the course is offered.

If you have enrolled and are not eligible, you will be withdrawn from the course.

B.S.B. REQUIREMENTS To earn the B.S.B., you must complete a minimum of 120 credits as specified below and obtain an overall GPA of 2.3 in all Business and Economics courses. You must satisfy the requirements of IPFW (see Regulations ) and the Richard T. Doermer School of Business, including completion of the Passport to Success program, and earn a grade of C- or better in each BUS and ECON course. Developmental courses (e.g., ENG W130; MA 10900 and MA 11300) do not apply to degree requirements.

Your final consecutive 30 credits must be taken at IPFW after you have been formally admitted to the B.S.B. program. Business majors may not count BUS, ECON or OLS courses towards their general education requirements (unless noted).

Special Academic Regulations for Students in Undergraduate Business Programs Following are the general policies and procedures for students enrolled in business undergraduate programs. In addition to the policies of IPFW (see Regulations ), these are intended to maintain the historically high academic standards of undergraduate business programs at IPFW.

The Student’s Responsibility You are responsible for satisfying the graduation requirements specified for your selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.

Academic Renewal Option The school participates in the Academic Renewal Option for eligible students returning to IPFW after an absence of five or more years. Information about this option appears in Regulations   of this Bulletin.

Time Limit. To ensure that you will be professionally competitive with other members of your graduating class, you may complete the degree requirements specified in the Bulletin in effect at the time you were formally admitted to the degree program only if

• Progress toward your degree objective has been continuous. If you have not registered for degree-applicable courses as an IPFW business major for a period of one calendar year, you will be considered as not progressing toward your original degree objective. Subsequently, if you qualify for re-entry to an undergraduate business program at IPFW, you must satisfy the admission and degree requirements specified in the IPFW Bulletin that includes your year of re-entry.
• No more than five years have elapsed since your admission to the business degree program. If more than five years have elapsed, your cumulative academic record will be reviewed by the appropriate business or economics department, and you will be required to meet the degree criteria specified in the current IPFW Bulletin. This may result in your having to repeat those courses in which the original content is determined to be outdated.
• The necessary courses or degree programs are available. If the courses that were required at the time of your formal admission to the business degree program are no longer available, you must complete the current replacements for those courses. Should these newer courses require prerequisites you have not taken, you must also enroll for these prerequisites in the appropriate sequence.

Overlapping Courses You may not count toward graduation any courses or sequences considered to have overlapping content. A list of overlapping courses appears in Colleges  of this Bulletin under the College of Arts and Sciences.

Credit by Self Acquired Competency IPFW business programs do not award credit for self-acquired competency (experiential credit). Credit awarded on this basis, regardless of its source, will not apply toward IPFW business degrees.

Academic Probation You are placed on academic probation whenever your semester or cumulative GPA at the end of any regular semester falls below 2.0. 

Repeat Limits To remain eligible for the B.S.B. program, a student may not retake any of the 300 or 400-level BUS or ECON courses more than twice.  An appeal may be made by the student to the Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) in the case of extenuating circumstances.
 
Transfer Credit Generally, courses in basic business and economics subjects (freshman and sophomore level courses) will be accepted as equivalent if they are being transferred from regionally accredited institutions. Courses in advanced business and economics will only be considered equivalent if they are from another business school accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), were taken within the past five years, and were taken as a junior or senior class standing.

At least 50 percent of required business and economics courses must be completed at IPFW in order for a B.S.B. degree to be awarded.

Credit by Examination Under very limited circumstances and subject to the following policies, you may be permitted to earn credit by means of a special examination:

1. Credit examinations are not provided for business or economics courses numbered 300 and above.
2. In all cases, your eligibility for a credit examination (for business courses numbered below 300); the type of examination; testing procedures, date, time, and location; and evaluation of your performance are the decision of the appropriate IPFW business or economics department. The decision of the department is final.
3. Credits earned by examination cannot exceed 10 percent of your total degree requirements.
4. You may attempt an authorized credit examination only once.
5. Only those examination scores that equate to a C- grade or better will be considered. Only the grade S will be reported for credit earned by examination.

Self Paced Courses Credits from self-paced online courses (including those from Indiana University Bloomington) are not accepted for upper level Business and Economics courses.

Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in Business Economics and Public Policy

The business economics major explores the economic environments in which businesses must operate, as well as the interrelationships among micro-and macroeconomic conditions, private-sector decision making, and governmental programs. You have opportunities to study economic problems and their alternative solutions. You may also study aspects of employment, inflation, international trade, and other economics subject areas.

If you wish to become a professional economist, you should prepare for graduate study by taking additional courses in mathematics, statistics, computer science, and/or research methods.

IPFW General Education Requirements Credits: 33

A grade of C- or better is required in each course used to satisfy the IPFW general education requirements.

DSB Additional Requirements Credits: 6

You must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the following courses:

• ENG W233 - Intermediate Expository Writing Cr. 3.
• BUS X204 Business Communication Cr. 3.

Business and Economics Core Credits: 46

You must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the following courses:

Economics Major Requirements Credits: 18

A student may not retake any of the 300-400 level BUS or ECON courses more than twice.  An appeal may be made by the student to the Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) in the case of extenuating circumstances.

You must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the following courses:

• ECON E321 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory Cr. 3.
• ECON E322 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory Cr. 3.
• ECON E406 - Senior Seminar Cr. 3.
• Credits in three additional 300 or 400-level ECON courses. Credits: 9

Free Elective Credits: 17

17 credits from either business or non-business courses to complement your professional and educational objectives, and bring your degree total to at least 120 credits.

Total Credits: 120